No. 41 - The Acadian Beekeeper's Bungalow

A Traditional Small Cottage Home with Modern Flair!

Download the free plan for this two bedroom, two bathroom, 1,000 square foot loft style traditional house - free! This design was for an existing foundation system that can be modified to suit various conditions. The design features a two floors, shed roof dormers, plenty of windows for bringing in the outside, a modern interior, and more. 

This house was built in Nova Scotia, Canada overlooking the Atlantic ocean. View a photo in the Client Gallery.

This is a client based modification drafted by THE small HOUSE CATALOG and offered as an open source construction document. Plan may be downloaded, printed and submitted to building departments in the United States & Canada. 

House Plan Details:

• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 2
• Floors: 2
• Loft: Yes
• Conditioned space: 1,000 sq ft
• House dimensions: 20' x 29'
• Foundation type: Existing pier
• Heating & Cooling: TBD
• Print size: 24" x 36"
• Immediate PDF download with license to build
• Design criteria: International Residential Code
• A modifiable SketchUp Model is available for this plan.

Download available March 1, 2017. 

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2014 Free Small & Tiny House Plans

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Builder's Risk Insurance: What it is and why you need it

A staged accident to remind people they need Builder's Risk Insurance while building houses. Don't turn house building dreams into nightmares!

Humor aside, if you're planning to build a house in the near future make sure your property - and even you and your contractors - are properly insured with Builder's Risk Insurance before breaking ground. 

Most insurance companies offer builders insurance. If you hire a contractor or builder don't assume they have all the insurance coverage you need. A good builder or contractor will be licensed, bonded and insured, and be listed with their state. For example, Washington state, where I live, makes available all sorts of business information online (see Washington State Department of Labor & Industries). No matter how seemingly respectable or highly recommended someone comes be sure to verify their credentials at the state level.

While you'll want to follow the advice of your insurer when purchasing a policy for your project, here are a few points to consider:

What exactly is a builder's risk policy?

A builder's risk policy differs from, say, a homeowner's policy in that it's aim is to cover any damages or losses during a construction project. It covers a home while it's under construction, not just for the house itself but for other items, such as:

• Theft of tools
• Damage to equipment
• Loss of or damage to materials on and off site
• Vandalism
• Natural disaster
• Injury to you or anyone visiting or working on site

A separate homeowner's policy generally comes into play once the house is finished. 

What are typical terms for a builder's risk insurance policy?

Terms will vary depending on individual needs but in my experience builder's risk insurance policies extend at least 12 months or more. I've personally had builds lasting anywhere from eight to 24 months without my insurance company batting an eye (my insurer has always been USAA). It's not a bad idea to query your potential insurer to find out if there are any issues in extending a policy if that should become necessary. Even simple delays can happen without warning.  

Do you need builder's risk insurance? 

Yes! Some professionals might disagree with me here as when, say, a contractor can provide solid proof of insurance coverage. And, sure, there's no doubt it's a good sign when someone you want to hire is properly insured - they should be; but I'd personally not take a risk that someone else's insurance company would fully cover any serious damages, losses, or injuries on my job site.

My biggest concern has always been a job site injury. I want insurance for myself, my wife, anyone I hire to help me, as well as any friends, potential interlopers, including vandals and thieves. Truth be told tools and materials can usually be replaced quickly without a lot of investment loss. However, a potential injury, and they're always unforeseen, could not only end your dream of building a house, it could cripple you financially. 

How expensive is builder's risk insurance?

Policy premiums for builder's risk insurance will vary mainly because of the wildly different values in property across the country. I live in one of the most expensive regions of the United States, the Pacific Northwest between Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia and the coverages for my projects have fallen between $300,000-$1,000,000 with premiums as low as $500 per year. I find this refreshingly reasonable. 

If you've made it this far I'm hoping I've convinced you to get a builder's risk insurance policy for your upcoming house building project. The good news is that if you're convinced it's not going to cost you much to have a little peace of mind while your house is under construction. Policies will vary across the country, from region to region, and from insurer to insurer, so be sure to shop around and go with an insurer you feel will be reliable and isn't going to break the budget. 

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Tiny House Plan Offerings from THE small HOUSE CATALOG

Are you looking for a tiny house plan?

How about a FREE one?

THE small HOUSE CATALOG specializes in small houses but also has some plans for tiny houses on wheels. In fact, we actually built one in 2010 and loved in it for three years.  

Check out these 100% FREE tiny houses on wheels:

1. The Bohemian Curved Roof Tiny House On Wheels

Tiny House Plan No. 20 - The Bohemian

Details of this house include a bathtub, composting toilet & waste hatch, sleeping loft, separate storage loft, kitchenette, laundry closet, fireplace, and more. Plan includes trailer specifications, dimensioned framing plans, three-dimensional cross sections, and other helpful sheets, including DIY electrical and plumbing sheets for customizing systems to suit.

Download Plan No. 30 - The Bohemian from THE small HOUSE CATALOG's free house plans collection.

2. The Famous Moschata Tiny House On Wheels

The finished house from this tiny house plan was featured on CNN Living, Tiny House Blog, Tiny House Design, Top 7 Sunset finalist for mobile houses, and awarded favorite tiny house rental by HomeAway in 2014 on the Today Show. 

Tiny House No. 1 - The Famous Moschata!

The Moschata Tiny House "Rolling Bungalow" was one of the first tiny house plans designed - and actually used - in a full-time living situation.

The Moschata Tiny House "Rolling Bungalow" was one of the first tiny house plans designed - and actually used - in a full-time living situation. It still boasts a comfy 170 sq ft that allows for a full working kitchen with a full size refrigerator, washing machine, wide sink, mini-oven, mechanical ventilation, and tons of storage and cabinetry; it has an office nook, living area with couch, propane fireplace, and site-built coffee or tea table. There's dual wheel-well storage cabinets (removeable), book shelves, a site-built folding dining table with two chairs, a queen size sleeping loft and front end storage or additional guest space sleeping loft and more. 

Download Plan No. 1 - The Moschata Tiny House Plan from THE small HOUSE CATALOG's free house plans collection.

3. The Modern Shed Roof Tamarack Modern Tiny House on Wheels

Tiny House Plan No. 20 - The Tamarack

The Tamarack is a modern, shed roof style tiny house on wheels with sleeping and storage lofts and sized in between a park model RV and a tiny house. With an open floor plan it has room for creative owner modifications.  

As is, the plan features a full kitchen and eating area, living room with floor mounted LPG fireplace and french doors leading to an optional small deck.

There's even a fully appointed bathroom with a full size bath and shower, a composting toilet (or porcelain toilet) and small sink.

There are stairs to the sleeping loft, a sizeable storage loft and room of other storage possibilities depending on your needs.

Download Plan No. 20 - The Tamarack from THE small HOUSE CATALOG's free house plans collection.

4. PSSSST...Down here! HELP me draft the next set of tiny house plans! 

Share your current thoughts, dreams and ideas about what would be the perfect tiny house would be FOR YOU in the COMMENTS SECTION below. Who knows, maybe it'll become a free plan!

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No. 40 - The Shaughnessy House (3-bedroom, 2-bath, Modern) Free House Plan

Download the free plan for this three bedroom, two bathroom modern shed-roof style house. Design is superinsulated and maximized for southern exposure. 

This is a client based design drafted by THE small HOUSE CATALOG and offered as an open source construction document. Plan may be downloaded, printed and submitted to building departments in the United States & Canada. 

Details:

• Bedrooms: 3
• Bathrooms: 2
• Floors: 1
• Conditioned space: 1320 sq ft
• Overall dimensions: 54' x 30'
• Foundation type: Insulated Slab
• Heating & Cooling: Superinsulated, minisplit heat pump, wood-burning stove
• Print size: 24" x 36"
• Immediate PDF download with license to build
• Design criteria: International Residential Code
• A modifiable SketchUp Model is available for this plan.

Plan Preview:

Free Download

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